Question on V-Drive alignment...

[IDBoating]

As mentioned here last Fall, PCM did a warranty swap on our transmission. The former Tige dealer in this area is still a PCM shop, so they did the work. The tech was a nice guy, but now that the boat is out of storage and I'm going over it I'm finding a few details that make me go "Hmmmmm". (Examples: Ballast pumps left disconnected, rudder assembly loose/rattley, etc.) So I'm going through the systems and checking things.

They had to pull the propshaft, of course, so one thing to check is propshaft alignment. The PCM engine manual says "align the v-drive just like the direct drive" but there are no illustrations for the v-drive setup. For a DD, the propshaft mounts directly to the back of the transmission. I expected to find that same setup on the v-drive, but it's totally different.

As far as I can tell down there in the dark depths, there are no adjustments where the propshaft connects to the v-drive. There aren't even any screws. It appears that the propshaft sort of "inserts" into a receiver with no alignment possible. On the front of the v-drive there is a bushing that sort of looks like that found on a DD.

From this, I presume that the propshaft bushing mounts to the end of the propshaft after it is passed completely through the v-drive. THEN, you perform alignment of the two disks on the FRONT of the v-drive in the normal manner. Do I have that right? It seems a bit odd that the propshaft passes through the v-drive like that and only connects at the front, but I cannot see any other mount or adjustment points.

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[mnpracing]

WA did you ever figure this out? I'm wondering the exact same thing....

[Travism]

I was told that to align the prop shaft you need to adjust it through the engine mounts. Loosen the engine mounts and tweak the whole assembler. I could be wrong but this is what my dealer told me. He said its around an 8 hour job.

[mnpracing]

sorry, I should have clarified my question....normally to CHECK and alignment, you would loosen/remove the coupler bolts, which in other boats I've had is aft of the vdrive (my experience has been with Indmar engines and Walter Vdrives). However, in my PCM setup, it looks like the couple is fore of the vdrive. From what I can see (or can't see as the case may be), I don't see a coupler aft of the vdrive where I would have expected it. What I'm wonder is:

1. Is what I'm seeing really the coupler where alignment is checked? When I lift the floor it looks like a couple on the front of the vdrive (and it rotates when the boat is in gear).
2. The PCM manual that I have (which states it covers 2013 PCM engines) shows a different location for the coupler, and pictures mounts that are slightly different than what is in my boat. Is there an updated manual that covers the specific configurations in the 2012 and up PCM engine / PCM powerplus vdrive / PCM transmission configurations in current boats?

[dom w. forte]

The prop shaft goes through the center of the vdrive and there the flanges bolt together, where they bolt together is where you do your measurements and adjust by moveing your trans and engine mounts either up or down or left and right dependent of where you are off.

[mnpracing]

The prop shaft goes through the center of the vdrive and there the flanges bolt together, where they bolt together is where you do your measurements and adjust by moveing your trans and engine mounts either up or down or left and right dependent of where you are off.

Thanks Dom. So the coupler is on the front side (bow side) of the vdrive? Would you mind describing which mounts are the adjusting mounts? The manual says that the transmission mounts should be removed and that the enigine and vdrive mounts are the ones that you adjust. Is that accurate?